8th October 2013 For immediate release Old Pulteney Enlists Scots To Create Spirited Celebration in Brazil Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky helped its intrepid Clipper Race crew celebrate in style this week by organising a spirited Scottish welcome in Rio de Janeiro. An official ‘Welcoming Commitee’, made up of four residents from Coatbridge and Glasgow, greeted the twenty five-strong team as they completed the first dramatic leg of the prestigious Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Named after its ‘maritime malt’ sponsor, the Old Pulteney yacht is one of the fleet’s 12 state- of-the-art ocean racing yachts which are competing in the year long Clipper Race, and is also Scotland’s only race entry. To complete the first leg, the 70-foot yacht set sail from London on 1st September passing through Brest, France before finishing on the 7th October in eighth place in Brazil. To mark their epic 4,800 mile voyage, Old Pulteney’s Welcoming Committee surprised the crew by greeting them in Brazil with Scottish flags, banners and celebratory drams of the award-winning single malt. They also hosted a celebratory crew lunch in the capital to further show the whisky brand’s support. The Committee’s leader, Jim Clarke, is a fifty one year old Xaverian Missionary Priest from Coatbridge and the brother of Old Pulteney’s Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke, who is also from the area. He has worked in Brazil’s Amazon region on and off for seven years taking small groups of volunteers to experience the work of the Church of Brazil and discover more of the Brazilian culture. Accompanying him are volunteers and fellow Coatbridge locals Annie McIntosh and her daughter Ellen and Brazilian Claudio Ferreira, who currently works as an assistant bar manager in Glasgow. Margaret Mary Clarke, Senior Brand Manager, Old Pulteney commented: “Old Pulteney is immensely proud of its Clipper Race team and wanted to mark their incredible first leg in a special way. By chance my brother was in Rio de Janeiro at the same time as the crew and was delighted to organise a surprise greeting at the port with his group of volunteers. “On this occasion, supporting the crew has been a real family affair and it is this personal touch which makes Old Pulteney’s approach so unique.” The Old Pulteney crew is made up of men and women from all walks of life – from retired engineers to taxi drivers to housewives – who give up their normal lives to train and take on the adventure of a lifetime. Scots Adam Nunn from Dundee and Charles Slater, who originates from Orkney, are amongst them, along with people from twelve different countries – the UK, the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Spain. The second leg of the race to Cape Town, South Africa will start on Saturday 12th October. Media Contacts Old Pulteney press office Rachael Tyrrell, Burt Greener Communications [email protected] Tel: 0131 220 0003 Notes to Editors About Old Pulteney Old Pulteney is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies. Known as the ‘Maritime Malt’, it is crafted in the windswept coastal town of Wick, home to the Pulteney Distillery which is one of the most northerly on the Scottish mainland. The distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of 'Pulteneytown', the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s famous herring boom which drew a fleet of over 1000 boats and 7000 workers to this remote and rugged harbour. Old Pulteney is the embodiment of this place, its people and its remarkable history. The skilled Pulteney distillery team continue to craft their whisky using the most traditional and time-honoured techniques that most others have long abandoned. This includes the uniquely shaped Pulteney stills, which are reflected in the design of the Old Pulteney bottle on shelves today. Matured in hand-selected oak casks, the resulting whisky has been acclaimed for its excellence, its smooth drinking style and faint hint of the sea. Old Pulteney holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world. Old Pulteney continues to celebrate all things related to its maritime heritage and is renowned for its long standing support of sailing adventure across the globe. About Clipper Ventures Plc Clipper Ventures Plc was established in 1995 by legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. Sir Robin founded the company on the premise that sailing should be made available to everyone, regardless of age or experience. So he launched the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 1996. The company owns and operates its own matched fleet of ocean racing yachts and so far more than 3,000 people have competed in the eight editions of the Clipper Race to date. The company also owns the rights to the professional solo round the world VELUX 5 OCEANS race and runs a successful events division offering corporate sailing and development programmes. Today Clipper Ventures is recognised as a leading international marine events company which is focused on developing and promoting major global events such as the Clipper Race. Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race The Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race started on Sunday 1 September from St Katharine Docks London, and will return almost a year later after completing the 40,000 mile route, making it the world’s longest ocean race. The event was established by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to give everyone, regardless of sailing experience, the opportunity to discover the exhilaration of ocean racing. 650 people representing more than 40 nations will compete in the Clipper 13-14 Race on twelve brand new 70-foot yachts designed by renowned naval architect Tony Castro. It’s the largest race ever. Crew members can sign up for the whole circumnavigation or one or more of eight legs. The only qualification for the race is the minimum age of 18 (there is no upper age limit) plus a thirst for adventure. The overall race is divided into individual stages and points are accumulated in a Formula 1-style scoring system. The yacht with the highest total points at the finish wins the Clipper Race Trophy. .